McLean  County s  Memorial 


To 


Hon,  John  McLean, 


December  6,  1898 


Taken  from  Volume  II  of 
McLean  County  Historical 
Society  Transactions 


ARRANGED  BV 

].  H.  BURNHAM,  Bloomington,  Illinois 


THE  McLEAN  MEMORIAL. 


December  6,  1898. 


PROGRAM. 

Prayer,  by  Richard  Edwards. 

Introductory,  by  George  Perrin  Davis. 

Address,  on  behalf  of  Board  of  Supervisors,  by  LaFayette  Funk. 

Public  Services  of  John  McLean,  a  memorial  on  behalf  of  the  Historical 
Society,  by  John  H.  Burnham. 

Address:  “Reminiscences  of  John  McLean,”  by  Gen.  John  A.  Mc- 
Clernand. 

OFFICERS. 

President  of  the  Day,  George  Perrin  Davis,  president  of  the  Historical 
Society. 

Vice-presidents:  H.  D.  Ledgerwood,  chairman  Board  of  Supervisors; 
Sylvester  Peasley,  Peter  Whitmer,  Charles  C.  Rowell,  William  J.  Baldridge, 
Duncan  M.  Funk,  Arthur  J.  Scrogin,  James  Smith,  William  T.  Bradbury, 
James  Thompson,  ex-chairmen  of  Board  of  Supervisors. 

Committee  of  Arrangements:  Marion  McCormick,  William  C.  Jones, 
John  G.  Welch,  on  behalf  of  Board  of  Supervisors;  George  P.  Davis,  John 
H.  Burnham,  Ezra  M.  Prince,  on  behalf  of  the  Historical  Society. 

) 

From  the  Bloomington  Bnlletin,  December  6,  1898 : 

McLean  county  paid  a  tribute  to  her  namesake  today.  The  His¬ 
torical  Society,  voicing  the  sentiment  of  tfie  whole  people,  recalled  the 
days  of  Senator  John  McLean,  one  of  the  brightest  minds  of  the  early 
territorial  days  of  the  great  state  of  Illinois.  McLean  has  been  dead 
nearly  70  years,  but  his  memory  lives  on  and  will  be  forever  perpetuated 
by  the  great  county  of  central  Illinois  which  bears  his  name.  The  idea 
of  a  memorial  to  the  memory  of  this  great  Illinoisan  was  a  happy  one, 
and  from  its  inception  widespread  interest  has  been  taken  in  carrying 
the  event  to  a  successful  consummation.  Captain  J.  H.  Burnham,  Hon. 
E.  M.  Prince,  and  others  have  been  untiring  in  their  efforts  to  secure  data 
of  the  illustrious  politician  and  statesman  but  have  been  baffled  by  a  re¬ 
markable  lack  of  information  in  the  newspapers  and  records  of  those  days. 
For  instance,  the  Vandalia  paper,  published  at  the  time  of  McLean’s 
death,  does  not  refer  to  it.  The  Congressional  Record  has  but  little 
relative  to  his  life,  and  there  is  a  singular  lack  of  matter  relative  to  the 
life  of  the  county’s  namesake.  The  tablet  erected  by  the  Society  in  the 

p  1i "  872 


[24l\ 


242 


McLEAN  COUNTY  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY. 


court  house  to  the  memory  of  McLean  has  been  described  in  previous 
issues.  Captain  Burnham  has  been  most  active  in  the  search  for  data. 
He  has  visited  Shawneetown,  the  home  of  McLean,  and  interviewed  old 
citizens.  He  has  pored  over  the  newspaper  files,  county  records,  and  every 
other  avenue  that  might  furnish  the  coveted  information.  His  efforts  are 
embodied  in  the  able  paper  which  he  delivered  at  the  meeting  this  after¬ 
noon  and  which  we  present  in  full.  It  was  hoped  to  have  General  John  A. 
IMcClernand  present  at  the  meeting  but  the  infirmities  of  age  prevented 
him  leaving  his  home  in  Springfield.  He  had  been  asked  to  furnish  some 
reminiscences  of  McLean  and  his  remarks  would  have  been  most  interest¬ 
ing.  The  Society  succeeded  in  securing  the  consent  of  Hon.  J.  S.  Ewing 
to  read  the  notes  of  General  McClernand  and  also  to  add  observations  of 
his  own. 

The  meeting  this  afternoon  was  held  in  the  circuit  court  room,  which 
was  turned  over  to  the  Society  by  Judge  Myers.  The  capacity  of  the 
room  was  tested  and  many  citizens  from  out  of  the  county  outside  of 
the  city  were  interested  auditors.  Mr.  George  P.  Davis,  president  of  the 
Historical  Society,  presided  over  the  meeting  and  opened  the  proceedings  by 
introducing  Dr.  Richard  Edwards  who  delivered  an  eloquent  invocation. 
Mr.  Davis  then  delivered  the  introductory  address,  speaking  as  follows: 

THE  PRESIDENT’S  ADDRESS. 

This  day  marks  the  turning  of  a  new  leaf  in  the  history  of  this 
county. 

In  the  first  settlement  of  a  new  country  the  struggle  for  ex¬ 
istence  is  so  great  with  the  people  that  they  have  no  time  or  thought 
for  reverence  of  the  beauties  of  nature  or  the  remains  of  a  former 
race. 

So  much  of  such  remains  as  can  be  utilized  in  the  construction 
of  their  dwellings  are  so  used,  and  the  earthworks  are  leveled  bv  the 
plow.  The  grand  old  trees  are  cut  down  for  buildings  or  firewood. 
The  nearest  being  taken  first. 

Perhaps  some  elm‘  that  is  worthless  for  either  purpose  and  is 
not  in  the  way  of  civilization  is  forgotten  and  left. 

The  articles  of  war  and  chase  and  household  use  of  the  former 
inhabitants  that  may  be  acquired  are  given  to  the  children 
for  toys.  The  history  of  their  great  men  and  of  their  own  lives  which 
would  be  so  valuable  to  us  are  either  not  written  at  all  or  so  scantily 
recorded  as  to  be  a  great  trial  to  the  accurate  historian  of  this 
day. 

After  the  country  is  settled  and  fully  improved  the  people 
have  more  time  to  devote  to  things  other  than  a  struggle  for  a 


THE  McLEAN  MEMORIAL. 


243 


livelihood.  Then  their  minds  revert  to  the  duty  and  pleasure  of 
honoring  the  memory  of  their  ancestors,  and  of  preserving  the  re- 
luains  of  such  monuments  or  natural  curiosities  as  may  still  remain 
among  them. 

Then  memorials  are  erected  to  their  early  great  men.  The 
lines  of  the  old  earthworks  are  traced  in  the  cornfields  and  by 
statute  they  are  preserved  from  further  spoliation,  and  the  forgot¬ 
ten  elm  becomes  the  pride  of  the  community  and  when  in  the  full¬ 
ness  of  time  it  falls  to  the  ground,  everyone  feels  the  loss  of  a 
personal  friend  and  the  remains  are  reverently  divided  among  them 
for  keepsakes. 

As  was  said,  this  day  marks  the  turning  of  a  new  leaf  in  the 
history  of  this  county. 

This  great  and  wealthy  county,  almost  an  empire  of  itself,  now 
turns  its  thoughts  backward  to  its  origin  and  feels  it  but  just  and 
right  that  it  should  remember  its  early  beginnings. 

I  am  the  more  proud  of  the  fact  because  this  county  is  one  of 
the  first,  if  not  the  first,  in  this  state  to  assist  the  Historical  Society 
iu  their  labors. 

Of  the  forthcoming  volume  of  the  McLean  County  Historical 
Society,  w'hich  is  mainly  a  war  volume,  together  with  a  roster  of 
county  officers  and  a  synopsis  of  the  proceedings  of  the  board  of 
supervisors  during  the  rebellion,  the  board  has  ordered  one  volume 
put  in  each  school  district.  And  we  have  no  doubt  but  that  other 
appropriate  volumes  will  be  so  placed.  In  many  of  the  eastern 
states,  especially  Massachusetts,  the  towns,  which  in  that  section  of 
the  country  are  the  political  units,  have  been  authorized  and 
directed  to  copy,  edit,  and  publish  their  old  town  meeting  records, 
many  of  them  going  back  for  more  than  270  years.  The  expense 
to  some  of  the  towns  has  been  as  much  as  $40,000  to  $50,000. 

This  great  expense  is  voluntarily  and  cheerfully  borne  and  the 
pride  of  the  towns  is  to  publish  the  most  accurate  and  fully  edited 
volumes. 

Mr.  Davis  then  introduced  Hon.  LaFayette  Funk,  who  was 
chosen  to  represent  the  board  of  supervisors.  Mr.  Davis  said: 

Of  the  early  settlers,  one  whose  business  extended  over  the 
greater  territory  and  who  was  the  most  successful  in  accumulating 
land,  and  who  has  left  a  permanent  impression  on  this  community. 


244 


McLEAN  COUNTY  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY. 


was  Isaac  Funk,  an  early  member  of  the  board  of  supervisors  and 
for  whom  the  township  of  Funk’s  Grove  was  named. 

The  board  of  supervisors  thought  it  but  fitting  to  select  one  of 
his  most  distinguished  sons,  a  state  senator,  and  a  member  of  the 
state  board  of  agriculture  for  some  years,  and  now  a  member  of 
their  board,  to  make  the  address  for  them,  the  Hon.  LaFayette 
Funk,  of  Funk’s  Grove,  who  will  now  address  you  on  behalf  of  the 
board  of  supervisors. 

ADDRESS  OF  HON.  LA  FAYETTE  FUNK. 

Mr.  President,  Piojteers,  and  Friends:  We  have  met 
here  today,  prompted  by  motives  which  seldom  occur  to  the  people 
of  a  county  nearly  three-quarters  of  a  century  after  its  admission 
as  such  by  dedicating  in  public  its  name  to  posterity. 

During  the  proceedings  of  the  board  of  supervisors  at  its  last 
September  meeting  some  action  was  taken  relative  to  a  communica¬ 
tion  received  from  the  McLean  County  Historical  Society,  making 
a  request  that  a  joint  meeting  be  held  with  the  board  at  some 
future  time.  A  special  committee  was  appointed  by  the  chairman 
of  the  board  to  meet  with  some  member  or  members  of  the  His¬ 
torical  Society  and  ascertain  the  object  of  the  meeting  and  their  • 
wishes  in  the  matter,  and  report  back  the  result  of  the  conference 
to  the  board. 

The  committee’s  report  of  the  findings  at  the  meeting  with  the 
members  of  the  Historical  society,  was  favorable  to  the  joint 
meeting  of  the  two  bodies  to  take  place  at  this  time;  and  coupled 
with  the  report  were  the  suggestions  from  the  committee  that  the 
chairman  of  the  board  appoint  some  one  of  its  members  to  prepare 
an  address  on  behalf  of  its  members  to  be  read  during  the  proceed¬ 
ings  of  this  occasion. 

From  some  cause,  perhaps  best  known  only  to  himself,  the 
honorable  chairman  saw  fit  to  appoint  the  writer  to  perform  that 
most  arduous  task,  and  I  am  frank  to  say  I  believe  our  chairman 
made  a  mistake  in  the  selection  of  his  man,  as  there  are  other 
members  of  this  board,  who,  for  a  long  number  of  years,  have  served 
iheir  constituents  at  home  and  their  country  at  large  with  ability 
and  distinctive  honors,  and  who,  from  their  long  term  of  public 
service  in  the  county’s  interest  could  have  prepared  and  performed 
this  work  more  appropriately  to  this  occasion.  i 


I 


The  Court  House  of  McLean  County  Destroyed  by  Fire  June  19,  1900.  The 
Mcl  ean  Memorial  Tablet  Was  Originally  Placed  in  This  Building. 


4 


THE  McLEAN  MEMORIAL. 


245 


To  arrive  at  something  of  a  definite  idea  of  the  subject  or 
theme  to  be  treated  of  on  this  occasion,  history  may  have  to  be  re¬ 
peated  to  some  extent.  Through  the  various  and  many  transitory 
stages  of  the  county’s  territorial  existence  to  the  present  boundary 
lines,  many  changes  have  taken  place. 

This  county,  with  its  present  and  original  territory,  has  per¬ 
haps  belonged  to  and  gone  under  more  different  names  than  any 
other  one  of  the  counties  of  the  state. 

Our  Jocal  history  tells  us  that  before  the  organization  of 
McLean  county,  its  territory  and  inhabitants  remained  in  Fayette 
county  until  1837,  though  as  above  stated,  prior  to  this  date  the 
names  of  the  several  other  counties  are  mentioned  as  covering  this 
county’s  present  territory. 

Tazewell  county  was  organized  in  1837,  with  its  county  seat 
at  Mackinaw,  only  twenty  miles  from  Blooming  Grove  and  for 
four  years  longer  its  inhabitants  gave  their  allegiance  to  Tazewell 
county. 

In  1837  the  boundaries  of  Tazewell  county  were  adjusted 
and  its  first  election  was  held  at  Blooming  Grove,  at  the  house 
of  one  of  the  leading  inhabitants,  William  Orendorff,  and  of  the  five 
or  six  county  officers  then  elected.  Blooming  Grove  secured  three. 
What  is  now  McLean  remained  as  before,  divided  between  Tazewell 
and  Vermilion.  > 

This  not  only  shows  that  settlers  were  quite  plentiful  around 
the  Grove,  but  that  their  descendents  have  come  honestly  by  their 
willingness  to  fill  all  the  offices  that  came  handy.  Our  local  history, 
too  familiar  to  need  repetition,  shows  that  soon  after  Tazewell 
county  had  taken  a  good  start,  it  was  thought  best  to  divide  the 
immense  territory  and  after  scheming  and  planning  for  the  organi¬ 
zation  of  new  counties,  the  outcome  of  the  agreement  of  those 
it  interested,  to  organize  a  county  out  of  the  following  described 
magnificent  district:  The  south  boundary  line  to  be  that  of  the 
township  running  east  and  west  four  miles  south  of  the  present 
line  dividing  the  counties  of  DeWitt  and  McLean,  thence  north 
forty-eight  miles  and  a  reference  to  the  map  will  show  well  toward 
the  north  line  of  the  present  county  of  Woodford.  The  west  line  to 
be  that  of  the  range  line  six  miles  west  of  the  third  principal  merid¬ 
ian,  and  that  of  the  east  line  thirty-six  miles,  being  that  of  the 
sixth  range  line  east  of  the  third  principal  meridian.  This  terri- 


246 


McLEAN  COUNTY  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY. 


lory  lay  wholly  within  the  counties  of  Tazewell  and  Vermilion,  the 
latter  not  within  the  county  proper,  but  lands  attached  for  county 
purposes. 

The  original  boundaries,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  above  descrip¬ 
tion,  comprised  eight  townships  north  and  south,  and  seven  ranges 
east  and  west,  being  in  extent  forty-two  by  forty-eight  miles,  in 
regular  form,  a  perfect  rectangle,  containing  fifty-six  townships, 
each  six  miles  square,  or  a  little  over  1,290,000  acres  of  land  in 
round  numbers.  This  immense  extent  of  territory  included  the 
present  site  of  Atlanta,  in  Logan  county,  Waynesville  and  Farmer 
City,  in  DeWitt  county,  considerably  over 'half  of  the  present 
county  of  Woodford,  almost  one-half  of  the  county  of  Livingston, 
including  the  present  site  of  Pontiac,  and  almost  a  township  of  the 
present  countv  of  Piatt.  It  will  be  seen  bv  careful  examination 
that  the  present  territory  of  McLean  county,  reduced  by  the  later 
organization  of  Piatt,  DeWitt,  Logan,  Woodford,  and  Livingston 
counties,  is  approximately  four-sevenths  of  its  original  territory. 

With  all  due  respect  to  our  neighbors  and  citizens  of  those  coun¬ 
ties,  which  have  in  their  make-up  received  such  a  large  proportion 
of  McLean  county’s  original  tract  of  land  set  off  or  ceded  to 
them,  and  in  the  absence  of  any  attempt  at  the  disparagement  of 
tlieir  possessions,  we  still  say  the  average  values  per  acre  of  the  land 
left  within  this  county’s  boundary  lines  were  enhanced  rather  than 
diminished. 

This  broad  assertion  may  sound  a  little  egotistical,  especially 
to  the  residents  of  our  neighboring  counties,  to  impute  to  them 
the  misfortune  that  in  the  divide  McLean  county,  to  use  a  homely 
phrase,  received  the  cream  and  they  the  skimmed  milk ;  but  to  those 
of  the  audience  who  are  well  acquainted  with  the  facts  it  will  not  be 
taken  with  any  great  amount  of  surprise. 

May  we  not,  at  this  time — it,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  being  the 
first  attempt  to  commemorate  the  county’s  natal  day — look  back  with 
profound  admiration  to  the  wisdom,  forethought,  and  good  work 
of  our  honorable  committee,  Thomas  Orendorft  and  James  Latta, 
who  were  sent  to  the  state  capital,  then  at  Vandalia,in  the  year  1830, 
with  the  requisite  number  of  names  petitioning  the  legislature,  then 
in  regular  session,  that  a  new  county  be  laid  out,  and  in  giving  the 
boundary  lines,  they  did  far  better  than  they  knew,  as  the  passing 
of  time  and  subsequent  events  have  shown. 


THE  McLEAN  MEMORIAL. 


247 


May  we  not  wonder,  therefore,  that  when  Blooming  Grove’s 
delegation  arrived  in  Vandalia  in  December,  1830,  bearing  the 
petition  of  onr  first  families  for  the  organization  of  a  new  county, 
embracing  such  a  magnificent  collection  of  well  timbered  groves, 
and  so  many  square  miles  of  the  richest  prairie  in  the  world,  it 
Avas  seen  at  once  that  the  district  in  question  had  immense  possi¬ 
bilities  and  that  a  large  county  would  some  day  be  found  within 
its  new  boundary? 

At  this  juncture  of  the  proceedings  in  the  legislature  an  episode 
occurred  involving  the  committee  and  the  speaker  of  the  house  of 
representatives,  the  temper  of  which  may  be  considered  of  no  small 
degree  of  interest  incident  to  the  exercises  we  are  holding  here 
today. 

The  Hon.  William  L.  D.  Ewing,  the  speaker  of  the  house  of 
representatives,  a  relative  and  an  intimate  friend  of  the  late  Senator 
McLean,  interested  himself  actively  in  influencing  our  Blooming 
Grove  committee  to  accord  and  permit  the  legislature  the  privilege 
of  naming  the  new  district  in  honor  of  the  man  whose  memory  we 
are  commemorating  today.  Mr.  Ewing  stated  that  it  was  the 
desire  of  Mr.  McLean’s  closest  and  most  intimate  friends  that  his 
name  should  be  given  to  a  large  and  important  county,  and  at 
this  point  in  the  proceedings,  my  friends,  this  great  county,  which 
its  people  feel  so  justly  proud  of,  was  christened  with  the  name  it 
now  bears,  and  we  trust  will  continue  to  hold  till  the  end  of 
time. 

Mr.  Ewing  Avas  perhaps  the  best  informed  as  to  the  value  of 
this  region  of  any  man  in  the  legislature,  as  he  had  been  one  of  the 
commissioners  appointed  in  the  legislature  in  1827  for  the  organi¬ 
zation  of  TazcAvell  county,  at  which  time  he  must  have  been  quite 
familiar  Avith  all  the  local  conditions  of  this  district,  besides  he  had 
helped  to  organize  other  counties  in  Central  Illinois. 

If  time  permitted,  Ave  might  refer  to  the  services  of  many  of 
the  pioneers  of  that  and  later  generations  Avho  served  in  thAvarting 
the  various  attempts  to  appropriate  our  territory  to  the  building  up 
of  rival  counties,  but  with  this  passing  reference  and  with  our 
blessing  to  their  memory,  we  must  hasten  forward. 

The  land  comprising  McLean  county,  taken  as  a  Avhole,  per¬ 
haps  cannot  for  an  equal  number  of  acres  in  one  continuous  body, 
be  equaled  in  any  country  for  its  fertility  of  soil,  yielding  with 


248 


McLEAN  COUNTY  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY. 


comparatively  small,  or  not  excessive  expense  at  least,  to  the  hus¬ 
bandman's  mode  and  manner  of  producing  all  the  cereals,  subject 
to  the  climatic  conditions  of  this  latitude,  giving  him  an  abundant 
remuneration  for  his  time  and  labor.  No  better  country  can  be 
found,  all  things  considered,  than  right  here  in  Central  Illinois 
for  the  rearing  and  maturing  to  the  highest  points  of  finish,  all  the 
meat  producing  animals  known  to  and  consumed  by  man  on  this 
continent. 

Water,  to  the  rearing  and  management  of  live  stock  of  what¬ 
ever  kind  or  nature,  is  one  of  the  essential  elements,  and  of  this 
we  have  an  abundant  supply,  in  the  way  of  permanent  springs,  and 
streams  of  pure,  clear,  running  water.  The  last  few  years  have 
developed  another  source  of  this  much  needed  and  indispensable 
article,  by  the  drilling  of  tubular  wells.  This  can  be  done  by  ma¬ 
chinery  specially  manufactured  for  the  purpose,  and  underground 
streams  can  be  reached  at  no  very  great  amount  of  expense,  that 
in  most  instances  have  proven  inexhaustible,  of  the  very  best  quality 
of  water  for  domestic  and  general  purposes. 

Most  excellent  groves  of  fine  timber  land  have  by  an  all-wise 
Creator  been  distributed  throughout  the  central  and  western  por¬ 
tions  of  the  county  ;  something  unusual  too  for  a  prairie  country. 
Some  of  these  groves,  too,  were  made  up  of  the  very  best  of  the 
hard-wood  varieties  valuable  for  merchandise  and  mechanical  pur¬ 
poses,  and  were  things  of  beauty  and  comfort  in  their  primitive 
days,  but  not  so  with  many  of  them  now,  for  the  woodman's  ax  has 
made  havoc  and  despoiled  them  of  their  beauty  until  they  may  al¬ 
most  be  considered  a  barren  waste,  something  we,  as  ardent  ad¬ 
mirers  and  true  lovers  of  good  timber,  dislike  very  much  to  see. 

The  early  pioneers  would  vie  wdth  each  other  the  right  to  se¬ 
cure  for  themselves  all  the  timber  land  they  could  gobble  up,  as  it  was 
not  then  known  that  this  entire  country  was  underlaid  with  vast 
fields  of  coal. 

In  all  civilized  nations  of  the  world,  government  and  laws  of 
some  kind  have  been  established.  In  our  own  United  States  we 
are  governed  by  the  people  and  for  the  people  by  electing  to  office 
all  our  law-making  and  governing  powers  from  the  very  highest  to 
the  lowest  by  a  vote  of  the  people. 

No  particular  reference  to  any  of  them  is  necessary  at  this 
time,  though  we  have  arrived  at  the  point  in  these  exercises  where 


THE  McLEAN  MEMORIAL. 


249 


my  honorable  colleagues  may  be  considered  a  part  and  parcel  of 
these  ceremonies. 

McLean  county  was  organized  for  the  transaction  of  business 
May  16,  1831,  by  the  election  or  appointment  of  three  county  com¬ 
missioners,  viz:  Timothy  B.  Hoblit,  Jonathan  Cheney,  and  Jesse 
Havens,  all  of  whom  have  long  since  passed  from  the  stage  of  an 
active  pioneer  life  to  the  other  shore. 

This  manner  of  conducting  the  county  affairs  and  county  busi¬ 
ness  was  kept  up  from  year  to  year  by  the  appointment  or  election 
of  the  commissioners,  until  November,  1849,  when  they  were  super¬ 
seded  by  the  county  court,  consisting  of  the  county  judge  and  two 
associate  justices.  At  the  November  election  of  1857,  the  question 
of  the  system  of  township  organization  was  voted  on.  This  was  a 
general  election,  and  it  was  decided  "the  people  of  the  county  were 
willing  to  adopt  the  new  plan. 

In  the  spring  of  1858  the  voters  of  the  several  newly-organized 
townships,  only  twenty-two  in  number  then,  now  thirty,  met  and 
elected  a  supervisor  to  represent  them  at  the  county  seat  for  the 
transaction  of  county  business,  which  system  has  continued  to  exist 
ever  since. 

Bloomington,  by  her  number  of  inhabitants,  was  entitled  to 
one  assistant  supervisor.  It  is  quite  different  now. 

On  the  16th  day  of  May,  1858,  the  newly  elected  board  of 
supervisors  met  in  Bloomington  and  proceeded  to  organize  for  the 
transaction  of  business,  by  the  election  of  the  Hon.  John  E.  Mc- 
Clun  as  chairman,  and  the  board  proceeded  to  business. 

It  may  not  seem  out  of  place  nor  inappropriate  to  make  honor¬ 
able  mention  of  the  gentlemen  who  composed  that  memorable 
bcdy,  and  with  your  permission  I  will  give  their  names  and  the 
township  represented  by  each  of  the  members. 

Mount  Hope,  Daniel  Windsor;  Danvers,  James  Wilson;  Dale,  Kichard 
Rowell;  White  Oak,  Benjamin  F.  Rowell;  Bloomington,  David  Simmons  and 
John  E.  McClun;  Normal,  William  G.  Thompson;  Savanna,  Sylvester 
Peasley;  Towanda,  N.  S.  Sunderland;  Gridley,  Taylor  Loving;  Blue 
Mound,  James  A.  Doyle;  Chenoa,  J.  B.  Graham;  Pleasant,  Ezekiel  Arrow- 
smith;  Mosquito  Grove,  Presley  T.  Brooks;  Funk’s  Grove,  William  S. 
Allin;  Dry  Grove,  Elias  Yoder;  Randolph,  Alfred  M.  Stringfield;  Hudson, 
James  H.  Cox;  Old  Town,  Scammon  Rodman;  Money  Creek,  William  F. 
Johnson;  Lee,  Josiah  Horr;  Lexington,  J.  C.  Mahan;  Kickapoo,  Henry 
West.  I 


250 


McLEAN  CO  UNT  Y  HISTORl  CAL  SO  CIETY. 


It  will  be  seen  by  the  above  list  that  only  twenty-two  town¬ 
ships  were  represented  on  the  board,  as  before  stated.  We  know 
of  only  four  members  now  living  who  answered  the  first  roll-call: 
Presley  T.  Brooks,  Mosqnito  Grove,  now  Allin;  Sylvester  Peasley, 
Savanna,  now  Downs;  James  H.  Cox,  Hudson,  and  S.  Sunder¬ 
land,  Towanda,  now  living  in  Kansas, 

Bloomington  and  Kormal,  by  their  increased  population,  are 
entitled  to  several  assistants,  and  at  the  present  ratio  of  increase 
their  membership  may  become  a  dangerous  element  when  matters 
present  themselves  where  the  city  and  country  members  may  not 
consider  the  question  at  issue  from  the  same  standpoint. 

Few  of  our  citizens  realize  the  magnitude^  of  McLean  county’s 
agricultural  productions,  or  its  relative  rank  among  other  agricul¬ 
tural  districts  of  this  country.  The  census  reports  of  1870,  1880, 
and  1890  show  that  in  each  of  these  years,  with  an  annual  corn  crop 
amounting  to  about  11,000,000  bushels,  its  yield  was  equal  to  the 
combined  harvest  of  six  of  the  Eockv  Mountain  states,  in  addition 
to  the  product  of  the  six  Kew  England  states,  while  it  surpassed  in 
this  great  staple  any  other  single  county  among  the  leading  coun¬ 
ties  of  all  the  states  of  the  union.  In  1890  its  total  grain  crop  as 
> 

shown  by  the  same  authority,  was  14,000,000  bushels,  and  the  total 
value  of  its  agricultural  products  exceeded  $5,000,000.  This  enor¬ 
mous  agricultural  total  was  not  exceeded  by  a  single  county  in  the 
union,  with  the  exception  of  two  or  three  counties  engaged  in  dairy¬ 
ing  and  market  gardening  near  the  largest  eastern  cities. 

McLean  county  was  organized  just  at  the  commencement  of  a 
new  era  in  the  world’s  history. 

In  Illinois,  the  long  contest  between  freedom  and  slavery  had 
been  settled  by  the  exciting  contest  of  1824,  though  slaves  were 
actually  held  in  bondage  in  this  state  for  several  j^ears  later. 

The  progress  of  any  people  depends  largely  upon  the  rapidity 
of  communication.  It  took  the  pioneers  of  McLean  county  as  long 
to  market  fifty  bushels  of  wheat  in  Chicago  as  it  does  now  P.  D. 
Armour  to  send  a  million  bushels  to  Liverpool. 

In  1831,  this  wonderful  transformation  was  just  commencing. 
The  first  English  railroad,  only  thirty-one  miles  long,  was  finished 
in  1830.  At  that  time  there  was  but  ninetv-five  miles  of  railroad 

4/ 

in  the  whole  United  States.  The  first  locomotive  constructed  in 
this  country  for  actual  service  made  its  first  trip  January  15,  1831. 


THE  McLEAN  MEMORIAL. 


251 


Henry  and  Morse  were  already  experimenting  with  the  electric 
telegraph!  Now  by  the  press  we  are  brought  into  daily  communi¬ 
cation  with  the  whole  world,  and  the  life  of  the  whole  people  is 
immensely  enriched  and  quickened.  In  1831,  Garrison  commenced 
the  publication  of  the  Liberator  in  Boston.  Only  six  years  later 
the  first  newspaper  was  published  in  this  county. 

But  in  no  department  of  human  activity  has  there  been  greater 
changes  than  in  that  of  agriculture.  The  first  settlers  in  this  coun¬ 
try  did  not  dream  this  prairie  country  would  ever  be  settled  and  be¬ 
come  the  granary  of  the  world.  They  supposed  they  would  ever 
remain  great  grazing  lands,  supporting  immense  herds  of  cattle. 

But  about  this  time  they  were  beginning  to  see  something  of 
the  true  value  and  use  of  the  prairie  lands,  and  some  large  farms, 
for  that  period,  were  beginning  to  be  improved  out  on  the  prairie, 
getting  away  from  the  infiuence  of  the  timber. 

Then  farming  was  a  comparatively  very  simple  affair,  now  it 
has  become  a  complex  affair,  which  will  tax  the  mind  of  the  most 
vigorous.  Already,  in  1831,  the  change  had  commenced.  The  first 
successful  mowing  machine  in  this  country  was  patented  in  1831. 
Patents  for  reaping  grain  came  two  years  later,  and  now  farm 
machinery  has  become  so  numerous  and  so  complicated  that  a  man 
must  be  a  capitalist  to  buy  all  that  is  needed  on  an  ordinary  farm 
and  be  a  skilled  machinist  to  care  for  and  operate  it. 

Coming  into  being  just  at  the  beginning  of  this  great  awaken¬ 
ing,  McLean  county  has  ever  been  wide  awake  and  foremost,  not 
only  in  these  material  things,  but  all  those  higher,  that  go  to  make 
up  a  great  people.  Its  press  has  been  alive,  enterprising,  and  clean ; 
its  schools  have  always  borne  an  enviable  reputation.  Our  com¬ 
mon  schools  have  received  the  constant  attention  and  faithful  care 
of  our  best  citizens,  serving  without  fee  or  reward,  and  so  honestly 
have  the  people  been  served  that  I  do  not  know  of  a  single  instance 
where  any  of  the  people’s  money  has  been  lost  by  defalcation  in 
this  county. 

The  Weslevan  furnishes  an  admirable  college  education  and 
the  Normal  stands  in  the  front  rank  of  schools  of  that  character. 
Our  politicians  have  been  distinguished  for  ability  and  integrity 
and  perhaps  I  might  say,  for  numbers. 

Of  our  professional  men,  lawyers,  doctors,  and  clergy,  perhaps 
there  is  no  necessity  for  me  to  speak,  as  they  are  quite  able 


252 


McLean  co  unt  y  historical  so giet  y. 


and  perhaps  not  too  modest  to  magnify  their  own  office,  but  truth 
compels  me  to  say  that  nowhere  are  there  more  able,  faithful,  and 
devoted  men  than  are  to  be  found  among  the  professional  men  of 
this  county. 

Our  charitable  institutions  are  of  the  very  highest  character. 
Our  county  farm  and  two  hospitals  are  modern,  and  our  jail  re¬ 
ceives  the  praise  of  every  one  who  visits  it.  Our  churches  have 
kept  pace  with  the  other  civilizing  instruments  of  the  country  and 
within  the  past  ten  or  fifteen  years  the  value  of  the  church  property 
in  this  county  has  probably  doubled.  When  this  county  was  organ¬ 
ized  the  population  was  about,  or  perhaps  less  than  2,000.  In  1840 
it  was  6,565;  in  1850  it  was  10,163;  in  1860,  28,772;  in  1870,  53,- 
988;  in  1880,  60,100;  in  1890,  69,967. 

In  wealth  our  progress  has  been  equally  marvelous,  notwith¬ 
standing  the  war  of  the  rebellion  cost  this  county  and  its  citizens 
$1,000,000  in  bounties  paid  to  fill  its  quotas  and  for  relief  to  the 
soldiers’  families,  and  the  enormous  amounts  bet  and  lost  by  our 
people  on  the  board  of  trade,  mining  in  the  west  and  other  foolish 
speculations,  the  county  has  progressed  rapidly  and  steadily  in  the 
accumulation  of  wealth  and  the  next  census  will  show  it  to  be  the 
richest  agricultural  county  in  the  state,  or,  we  may  say,  in  the 
world. 

The  McLean  County  Historical  Society  in  the  preface  to  the 
book  they  are  about  to  publish,  will  say,  ^^We  doubt  if  there  is  any 
other  community  of  equal  numbers  where  wealth  is  so  equally  dif¬ 
fused,  where  there  are  so  many  well-to-do  people,  so  few  overly 
rich,  or  where  there  is  so  little  poverty,  or  so  little  vice,  and  so  high 
a  grade  of  intelligence  and  civic  and  private  virtue,  all  of  which 
is  due  quite  as  much  to  the  early  settlers  of  the  county,  as  to  its 
unrivaled  location  and  physical  characteristics.” 

McLean  county’s  patriotism  during  the  civil  war  is  well  shown 
by  the  fact  that  its  citizens  cheerfully  volunteered  for  the  war  in 
great  numbers,  over  4,000  in  all,  and  its  surplus  above  quotas  was 
the  largest  of  any  county  in  the  state,  while  the  brave  soldiers  in 
the  field  were  most  liberally  sustained  by  the  people. 

During  the  late  war  with  Spain,  our  citizens  fully  maintained 
their  former  patriotic  prominence,  as  was  shown  by  our  turning  out 
the  largest  number  of  volunteers  of  any  county  in  the  state  of  Illi¬ 
nois,  in  proportion  to  its  population.  Of  course  our  young  men 


i,'  %iV.- '•Xf.U,  ;'-l^V 


.■.v:>5‘' ’>•■.£■:»  IN'  MEMORY  OF  'J 

)>9t  JOHN  McLEAN  . 

^  SHAWNEETOWN  ILLINOIS  T  ^ 

"  FOR.  w'hOM'THIS  COUNTY'  WAS | NAMED 
FIRST  representative;  INrcONCl^ESS  laia 
U-S-SENATOR  I82'4-.18E5  AND  .^8^9-1830 

■  -  v-i.i  ■  >' erected BY 

THE  BOARD  OF  SUPERVISORS  AND 
£  a  McLEAN  CO  •  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY^.  , 

;  ■,'  DECEMBER ..6THv1898,«^^ 


The  McLean  Memorial  Tablet,  Placed  in  the  Court  House  of  McLean  County 

December  6,  1898. 


THE  McLEAN  MEMORIAL. 


253 


deserve  the  most  credit  for  this  patriotic  record,  but  here  again 
our  agricultural  prominence  went  hand  in  hand  with  our  patriotism, 
because  it  was  owing  to  our  leading  position  in  the  horse  raising 
industry  that  we  were  able  to  take  the  lead  in  furnishing  cavalry¬ 
men  for  the  army.  The  figures  are  not  at  hand  to  prove  it,  but  it 
is  asserted  by  some  that  McLean  county  furnished  to  the  Spanish- 
American  war  in  proportion  to  its  population,  a  larger  proportion 
of  volunteers  than  any  other  county  in  the  union. 

The  board  of  supervisors  of  this  county  has  been  organized 
forty  years,  and  without  boasting,  I  think  I  may  say  that  from  the 
first  its  members  have  been  the  representatives  of  such  a  people. 
That  in  the  performance  of  their  duties  they  have  ever  been  honest, 
intelligent,  and  faithful. 

The  board  recognizes  the  justly  appropriate  work  being  done 
by  the  Historical  Society  in  preserving  the  local  history  of  this 
people  and  it  gives  them  great  pleasure  to  unite  with  the  Society  in 
dedicating  this  beautiful  tablet  to  the  memory  of  the  noble  man  for 
whom  this  county  was  named,  and  in  behalf  of  the  board  of  super¬ 
visors  I  tender  its  thanks  to  the  McLean  County  Historical  Society 
for  inaugurating  the  movement  that  has  led  to  the  erection  of  this 
tablet,  and  I  also  extend  our  sincere  thanks  to  General  McClernand, 
distinguished  alike  in  military  and  civil  affairs,  and  whose  active 
life  spans  the  whole  history  of  the  state  of  Illinois,  for  his  share  in 
the  exercises  of  this  occasion. 

The  McLean  memorial*  tablet  was  placed  upon  the  south  side 
of  the  east  entrance  to  the  rotunda,  on  the  first  floor  of  the  old 
court  house. 


*The  memorial  tablet  referred  to  was  placed  on  the  south  wall  of  the 
east  entrance  to  the  first  story  of  the  court  house.  It  was  of  bronze,  3  feet 
in  height  and  4  feet  in  width.  It  cost  $160  and  of  this  the  county 
paid  $125,  and  the  McLean  County  Historical  Society  $35.  It  is  con¬ 
sidered  highly  artistic,  and  the  placing  of  this  tablet  has  given  great  satis¬ 
faction  to  the  public.  The  tablet  was  not  injured  in  the  great  fire  of  June 
19,  1900,  and  will  be  given  a  conspicuous  place  in  the  new  court  house 
now  being  erected.  It  has  already  become  one  of  the  county’s  most 
cherished  historic  memorials,  and  its  value  will  greatly  increase  as  the 
years  go  by. 


254 


THE  McLEAN  MEMORIAL. 


The  Society’s  Memorial. 

The  memorial  of  the  McLean  County  Historical  Society  to 
Hon.  John  McLean,  written  by  Capt.  J.  H.  Burnham,*  chairman  of 
the  executive  committee  of  the  Society  was  delivered  by  him  as 
follows :  I 

The  Hon.  E,  B.  Washburn,  in  a  sketch  prepared  for  the 
Chicago  Historical  Society,  says :  ,  i 

“Perhaps  less  is  known  at  the  present  day  of  John  McLean  than  any 
other  public  man  of  his  day,  who  occupied  such  a  distinguished  position. 
His  name  and  memory  seems  to  have  almost  died  out  in  the  state,  and  it 
is  now  practically  impossible  to  gather  much  of  his  personal  history.” 

This  is  an  effort  to  bring  together  in  a  reliable  shape  all  of 
the  most  important  facts  of  his  public  and  personal  history  with  a 
view  to  their  preservation  for  the  use  of  those  of  our  future  gener¬ 
ations  who  may  be  most  likely  to  be  interested  in  their  possession. 

'  John  McLean  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  February  4,  1791. 
His  father  emigrated  to  Logan  county,  Kentucky,  when  his  son  was 
four  year  old,  and  was  able  to  give  him  but  a  limited  education. 
He  was  a  blood  relation  to  the  well  known  Ewing  family  which 
originated  in  Pennsylvania.  The  famous  Thomas  Ewing,  of  Ohio, 
descended  from  this  stock.  A  branch  of  the  family  emigrated  to 
North  Carolina  from  Pennsylvania,  and  from  these  descended  the 
Ewings  of  Kentucky  and  of  this  section.  John  McLean  was  re¬ 
lated  to  the  Hon.  Wm.  Lee  D.  Ewing,  one  of  the  early  distinguished 
men  of  this  state,  and  this  gentleman  was  a  second  cousin  to  the 
father  of  the  Hon.  James  S.  Ewing,  of  this  city,  and  thus  we  trace 
a  local  relationship  to  the  man  whose  memory  we  are  honoring 
today. 

It  would  be  interesting  could  we  possess  a  full  genealogy 
of  the  Mclican  family  and  it  is  quite  probable  that  future  researches 
will  reveal  all  of  the  desired  information. 

McLean  county  does  not  carry  off  all  the  honors  of  the  family 
name  of  McLean,  as  is  shown  by  the  following  extract  from  the 
history  of  Hamilton  county,  Illinois,  whose  county  seat  is  named 

*  Authorities  consulted:  Gov.  Reynold’s  “My  Own  Times,”  Moses’ 
History  of  Illinois,  Stuves’  History  of  Illinois,  Ford’s  History  of  Illinois, 
Congressional  Record,  Chicago  Historical  Society,  Vol.  III.;  Illinois  Gazette 
of  Shawneetown, 


McLEAN  COUNTY  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY. 


255 


McLeansboro.  ^^The  first  house  in  McLeansboro  was  a  log  one  built 
by  Dr.  William  B.  McLean^  a  brother  of  John  McLean  of  Shawnee- 
town.*^ 

The  McLean  family  has  been  more  honored  in  Illinois  than 

%/ 

has  generally  been  known  in  this  region,  as  its  local  historians  have 
never  before  been  informed  of  the  fraternal  relationship  existing 

between  McLean  county  and  McLeansboro. 

«/ 

When  John  McLean  was  twenty-four  years  old,  having  studied 
law,  he  emigrated  to  Shawneetown,  Illinois,  settling  there  in  1815, 
and  there  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1816. 

Shawneetown  was  then  the  commercial  and  political  rival  of 
Kaskaskia,  and  the  two  towns  were  the  most  important  in  the 
territory  of  Illinois.  He  at  once  took  a  high  position  at  the  bar, 
so  high  that  in  1816,  soon  after  his  admission  to  the  bar  of  the 
territory,  he  was  appointed  to  one  of  the  judgeships  of  its  highest 
court,  but  he  declined  the  appointment.  This  declination  is 
quite  good  evidence  that  the  ambitious  young  man  at  that  time 
had  very  high  aims  as  we  find  that  only  two  years  thereafter,  on 
the  admission  of  Illinois  into  the  union  in  1818,  he  was  a  candi¬ 
date  for  the  honorable  position  of  representative  to  congress. 

History  informs  us  that  the  canvass  was  one  of  the  most  ex¬ 
citing  ever  known  in  this  state.  The  great  Missouri  question  was 
then  looming  up  and  a  far  more  important  local  question  was 
beginning  to  absorb  public  attention,  which  was  the  question  of 
slavery  or  freedom  for  the  state  of  Illinois,  and  which  came  to  a 
head  six  years  later  in  the  famous  convention  campaign  of  1824. 

McLean’s  opponent  was  the  famous  Daniel  P.  Cook.  The 
latter  was  not  in  favor  of  slavery  in  Illinois,  but  Mr.  McLean, 
being  a  native  of  a  slave  state,  was  conscientiously  and  honestly  a 
pro-slavery  man.  Both  of  these  gentlemen  were  remarkably  elo¬ 
quent,  and  both  were  among  the  intellectual  giants  of  these  days. 

Hon.  E.  B.  Washburn  says: 

“Of  all  the  early  settlers  of  Illinois  the  names  of  three  men  will 
always  stand  out  pre-eminent,  John  McLean,  Benjamin  Mills,  and  Daniel 
P.  Cook,  all  dying  young,  but  leaving  memories  worthy  to  be  cherished 
by  every  loyal  son  of  our  state.” 

Illinois  had  been  admitted  into  the  union  as  a  free  state,  but 
a  very  large  proportion  of  its  inhabitants  were  of  the  opinion 
that,  taking  everything  into  account,  it  would  be  to  the  interest 


256 


THE  McLEAN  MEMORIAL. 


cf  this  state  to  cast  its  fortunes  with  Kentucky  and  the  southern 
states.  The  question,  in  one  form  and  another,  agtiated  our 
pioneers  till  after  the  famous  campaign  of  1824,  and  it  was  the 
principal  question  before  the  public  in  the  canvass  between  Cook 
and  McLean  in  1818.  Moses’  history  of  Illinois  has  this  to  say  of 
the  contest:  : 

“McLean  was  on  the  side  of  slavery  and  Cook  on  that  of  freedom.  Both 
being  singularly  well  equipped  by  study,  experience,  and  inclination  for 
public  debate  and  each  of  them  feeling  confident  in  the  justice  of  his 
respective  side,  joint  discussions  were  held  by  them  in  all  of  the  principal 
counties.  Hon.  Orlando  B.  Ficklin,  who  heard  these — as  also,  many  years 
afterwards — the  debates  between  Lincoln  and  Douglas,  involving  the  same 
questions,  ‘awarded  the  palm’  for  oratory  and  interest  to  the  former. 
McLean,  though  of  lighter  complexion,  was  said  to  resemble  the  great 
Charles  Fox  in  person,  and  in  his  style  of  oratory.” 

The  shorthand  reporter  and  the  big  blanket  sheet  newspaper 
were  not  on  hand  during  their  great  debate,  and  we  shall  never 
be  able  to  do  more  than  vainly  attempt  to  imagine  how  these  able 
men  handled  the  great  question,  but  it  is  entirely  safe  to  assume 
that  its  treatment  was  not  hollow  and  superficial. 

Mr.  McLean  triumphed  at  the  election  by  fourteen  votes. 
His  term  in  congress  lasted  only  from  December,  1818,  to  March  3, 
1819,  but  during  this  time  he  cast  several  votes  on  the  side  of 
slavery  in  the  preliminary  questions  which  were  being  acted 
upon  in  congress,  and  we  might  also  state  that  he  was  defeated 
for  congress  at  the  next  two  elections  by  D.  P.  Cook,  who  voted 
in  congress  against  the  Missouri  Compromise  of  1820,  and  who 
in  1824  cast  the  vote  of  Illinois  for  John  Quincy  Adams  for 
president,  by  which  act  Cook’s  popularity  suffered  so  severely 
that  he  was  unable  to  secure  another  re-election. 

On  Mr.  McLean’s  return  from  congress,  in  1819,  he  re¬ 
turned  to  the  bar  of  Shawneetown,  but  was  elected  to  the  legisla¬ 
ture  in  1820,  where  he  served  as  speaker  of  the  second  general 
assembly  and  from  all  accounts,  must  have  been  about  the  ablest 
politician  in  the  young  state. 

That  he  was  more  than  a  mere  politician,  and  was  also  a 
statesman,  we  have  the  best  proof  possible  in  the  following  extract 
from  Moses’  historv  of  Illinois : 

“The  most  exciting  subject  of  discussion  was  the  law  to  incorporate 
a  state  bank.  The  times  were  hard.  Over  trading  and  speculating  in- 


CAPT.  JOHN  H.  BURNHAM. 


Chairman  Executive  Committee  McLean  County  Historical  Society 


TEE  McLEAN  MEMORIAL. 


257 


duced  by  the  too  abundant  issue  of  paper  currency  by  the  banks  of 
adjoining  states  had  brought  every  one  in  debt.  To  provide  a  way  to 
escape  the  existing  evils,  the  legislature  chartered  the  state  bank.  There 
was  strenuous  opposition  to  the  bill,  led  by  Speaker  McLean.  By  a 
singular  provision  of  the  rules  the  speaker  was  not  permitted  to  participate 
in  the  debates,  except  when  the  house  resolved  itself  into  a  committee  of 
the  whole;  nor,  indeed,  to  vote  on  any  question  except  when  a  tie  occurred. 
In  order  to  deprive  the  eloquent  speaker  from  exposing  the  objectionable 
features  of  the  proposed  measure,  the  house,  which  contained  an  assured 
majority  in  its  favor,  refused  to  go  into  a  committee  of  the  whole.  McLean 
indignant  at  such  treatment,  resigned  his  position,  and  upon  the  floor  of 
the  house,  made  a  powerful  argument  against  the  bill,  in  which  he 
prophetically  predicted  all  of  the  evils  which  ultimately  resulted  from 
the  operations  of  the  bank.  But  the  bill  passed  nevertheless  and  when 
the  council  of  revision  returned  it,  pointing  out  the  objections  to  its 
provisions,  and  showing  how  it  was  inexpedient  and  unconstitutional,  it 
was  again  enacted  by  the  requisite  majority.*’ 

The  references  made  to  his  debate  with  Daniel  P.  Cook  and  this 
evidence  of  his  standing  in  the  second  general  assembly,  suffi¬ 
ciently  prove  that  Mr.  McLean  was  one  of  the  great  men  of  the 
early  days  of  Illinois  and  we  must  always  lament  the  fact  that  the 
newspapers  of  that  day  were  so  small  as  to  be  unable  to  hand 
down  to  posterity  the  glowing  words  of  him  whose  memory  we  wish 
to  preserve  and  perpetuate. 

The  subsequent  history  of  the  failure  of  this  state  bank  and 
of  the  distress  it  brought  upon  the  people  of  Illinois  is  positive 
proof  of  the  statesmanship  of  Mr.  McLean  in  his  vigorous  but 
fruitless  opposition  to  the  bank. 

Mr.  McLean  remained  out  of  the  legislature  for  several  years, 
but  we  may  be  sure  he  was  no  idler.  He  took  a  leading  part  in  the 
great  slavery  contest  in  1821,  being  on  the  pro-slavery  side,  which 
was  defeated.  From  all  that  we  can  now  learn  of  this  historical 
contest  it  was  the  most  excited  and  bitter  ever  known  in  Illinois. 

Governor  Eeynolds  in  ^^My  Own  Times’'’  says :  ■  . 

“Men,  women,  and  children  entered  the  arena  of  party  warfare  and 
strife;  and  the  families  and  neighborhoods  were  so  divided  and  furious 
and  bitter  against  one  another,  that  it  seemed  a  regular  civil  war  might 
be  the  result.  IVIany  personal  conflicts  were  indulged  in  on  the  -question, 
and  the  whole  country  seemed  at  times  to  be  ready  and  willing  to  resort 
to  physical  force  to  decide  the  contest.” 

Xotwithstanding  the  bitterness  engendered  in  the  great  cam¬ 
paign  of  1824,  we  find  Mr.  McLean  emerged  from  the  strife  with 


258 


McLEAN  COUNTY  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY. 


almost  the  universal  good  will  of  both  parties,  which  may  be 
taken  as  an  evidence  that  the  public  gave  him  credit  for  favoring 
slavery  purely  from  what  might  be  called  honestly  mistaken  views 
of  its  expediency. 

This  is  fully  proven  by  the  fact  that  in  the  fall  of  1824,  on 
the  eve  of  all  of  this  excitement,  when  the  legislature  balloted  for 
hnited  States  senator  to  fill  the  short  term  caused  by  the  resigna¬ 
tion  of  Senator,  formerly  Governor  Edwards,  McLean  was  chosen 
on  the  third  ballot.  This  legislature  was  fresh  from  the  great 
slavery  and  presidential  contest  of  1824,  during  which  Mr.  Mc¬ 
Lean  had  been  one  of  the  most  active  and  eloquent  of  the  pro- 
slavery  orators,  but  there  appears  to  have  been  but  little  opposi¬ 
tion  to  his  election.  He  went  to  Washington  at  once,  and  served 
from  December  20,  1824,  to  March  3,  1825.  There  was  a  senator 
to  be  elected  at  the  same  time  for  the  long  term  of  six  years,  and 
we  are  told  tliat  Senator  McLean  was  also  a  candidate  for  that 
position,  but  being  absent  on  duty  in  the  United  States  senate,  his 
iriends  were  not  able  to  rail}"  enough  strength  for  his  election  and 
the  position  was  secured  by  Elias  Kent  Kane.  Of  Mr.  McLean’s 
senatorial  career  we  have  little  report,  but  it  was  entirely  satis- 
iactory  to  his  constituents. 

1  While  he  was  in  Washington  on  this  service,  the  presidential 
election  of  1824,  when  there  was  no  choice  of  the  people,  came  to  a 
head  by  the  election  in  February,  1825,  by  the  national  house  of 
representatives  of  John  Quincy  Adams.  Illinois  had  given  one 
electoral  vote  to  Adams  and  two  to  Jackson.  Daniel  P.  Cook,  in 
the  House,  now  cast  the  vote  of  the  state  of  Illinois  for  Adams, 
thereby  making  it  the  thirteenth  state  to  vote  for  Adams,  exactly 
a  majority  of  the  states,  and  thus  electing  Adams.  The  excitement 
must  have  been  tremendous  and  we  obtain  a  glimpse  of  the  indig¬ 
nation  of  such  an  intense  Jackson  man  as  was  Mr.  McLean,  by  the 
following  brief  item  which  he  sent  to  the  Shawneetown  paper,  the 
Illinois  Gazette: 

“Senate  Chamber,  February  9,  1825. 

“Sir:  The  votes  for  president  are  as  follows:  Mr.  Adams,  the  six 
New  England  States:  New  York,  Maryland,  Ohio,  Illinois,  Missouri,  Ala¬ 
bama,  and  Kentucky.  He  is  elected.  The  mail  starts.  I  have  time  to 
write  no  more.  Great  God  deliver  ns.  John  McLean.’ 

It  may  be  proper  to  add  that  the  people  of  Illinois  were  too 
fiiendly  to  Jackson  to  entirely  forgive  Mr.  Cook  for  his  vote,  and 


THE  McLEAN  MEMORIAL. 


259 


he  was  defeated  at  the  next  election.  His  death  occurred  October 
16,  1837,  while  he  was  still  a  young  man. 

His  name  was  given  to  Cook  county,  January  15,  1831,  al¬ 
most  a  year  after  McLean  county  was  organized,  and  we  thus  find 
the  names  of  these  two  great  political  rivals  attached  the  one  to 
the  most  wealthy  and  populous  county  in  the  state,  and  the  other 
tc  the  most  fertile  and  the  largest  in  territory. 

On  Mr.  McLean’s  return  to  Illinois  in  1835,  he  was  elected  to 
the  legislature  from  Gallatin  county  for  two  terms  in  succession 
and  during  both  of  these  terms  he  was  speaker  of  the  house.  Here 
he  was  one  of  the  most  influential  and  valuable  members,  as  we 
have  the  most  abundant  testimony.  Ex-Governor  Reynolds,  who 
served  at  the  same  time,  gives  him  high  credit,  most  especially  for 
his  share  in  the  revision  and  adoption  of  the  laws  of  1837,  which 
all  old  lawyers  know  was  a  remarkable  work  to  be  performed  by  a 
legislative  body  in  the  time  of  an  ordinary  session,  and  this  volume 
of  the  laws  is  in  part  one  of  the  existing  evidences  of  the  ability  of 
John  McLean. 

Governor  Eeynolds  in  “My  Own  Times”  gives  an  amusing 
incident  showing  evidence  of  McLean’s  influence  as  follows : 

“In  the  legislature  of  1820  and  1827,  a  county  was  organized,  em¬ 
bracing  the  .mining  district,  which  was  called  Jo  Daviess  county.  I  pro¬ 
posed  the  name  of  Daviess  in  the  general  assembly,  and  John  McLean,  with 
much  Kentucky  enthusiasm,  added  the  name  of  Jo  to  it,  and  it  succeeded. 

It  could  not  be  severed  in  that  legislature  as  we  tried  it  often.” 

The  county  was  named  in  honor  of  Colonel  Joseph  Hamilton 
Daviess,  of  Kentucky,  who  fell  at  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe,  in  1811. 

But  two  men  have  ever  been  speaker  of  the  Illinois  house  of 
representatives  for  three  terms.  They  are  William  Lee  D.  Ewing 
and  John  McLean. 

Correspondence  published  in  the  transactions  of  the  Chicago 
Historical  Society  and  other  sources  of  information  too  lengthy 
for  quotation,  prove  that  Speaker  McLean  was  actively  engaged 
in  pushing  his  canvass  for  election  to  the  position  of  United  States  • 
senator  when  the  next  vacancy  should  occur.  He  had  set  his 
heart  on  winning  this  prize  and  this  canvass  was  watched  with 
deep  interest  by  his  political  friends  and  enemies.  Public  senti- 
ment  had  by  this  time  become  overwhelmingly  in  favor  of  General 
Jackson  and  Mr.  McLean’s  services  in  behalf  of  his  party  were 
unquestioned.  i  !  ! 


260 


McLEAN  COUNTY  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


We  can  form  a  good  estimate  of  the  strength  of  Mr.  McLean 
at  this  period,  the  crowning  point  of  his  influence  on  Illinois 
politics,  by  the  simple  announcement  that  Avhen  the  legislature 
met  in  the  fall  of  1829,  it  unanimously  elected  him  United  States 
senator  for  the  term  of  six  years  from  the  6th  day  of  December, 

1829.  This  unanimous  election  is  an  honor  never  before  nor  since 
conferred  on  any  other  Illinoisan  and  of  itself  proves  his  high 
standing  in  the  public  estimation.  But  it  seems  disease  was  wast¬ 
ing  his  strength  and  after  the  close  of  the  long  session.  May  31, 

1830,  he  came  home  to  Shawneetown,  where  he  died  October  14, 

1830,  in  the  fortieth  year  of  his  life.  ^ 

On  the  9th  day  of  December,  1830,  his  colleague  in  the  United 
States  ^senate,  Hon.  Elias  Kent  Kane,  pronounced  his  eulogy,  in 
the  course  of  w^hich  he  said: 

“In  private  life  he  was  remarkable  for  his  benevolence,  frankness, 
and  independence  of  character.  Xo  one  in  the  circle  in  which  he  moved 
had  a  larger  share  of  the  confidence  and  affection  of  his  fellow  men.  He 
was  by  profession  a  lawyer,  possessed  of  a  vigorous  mind  and  a  rapid, 
but  easy  elocution.  These  qualifications,  added  to  honesty  of  purpose 
universally  accorded  to  him,  raised  him  to  the  front  rank  of  his  profession 
and  there  sustained  him.  As  a  statesman,  the  people  of  Illinois  would 
long  remember  him  as  the  author  of  the  most  valued  portions  of  their 
statute  books,  and  as  the  able  and  acute  presiding  officer  over  the  most 
numerous  branch  of  their  legislature.” 

Ex-Governor  Eeynolds,  in  his  book,  contended  that  no  man  in 
Illinois  before  or  since  his  day  surpassed  him  in  pure,  natural 
eloquence. 

He  describes  him  as  “a  man  of  gigantic  mind,  of  noble  and  manly 
form  and  a  lofty,  dignified  bearing.  His  person  was  large  and  formed 
on  that  natural  excellence  which  at  once  attracted  the  attention  and  ad¬ 
miration  of  all  beholders.  The  vigor  and  compass  of  his  mind  was  exceed¬ 
ingly  great  and  his  eloquence  flowed  in  torrents,  deep,  strong,  and  almost 
irresistible.’* 

Ko  wonder  that  when  the  legislature  assembled  a  few  weeks 
after  his  death,  presided  over  by  Hon.  M  illiam  L.  D.  Ewing,  his  im¬ 
mediate  friend  and  relative,  it  was  easily  influenced  by  the  speaker 
to  bestow  this  loved  name  upon  the  large  new  county  to  be  organ¬ 
ized  in  this  resfion. 

Tradition  informs  us  that  our  pioneers  had  decided  to  name 
this  county  for  Judge  Hendricks,  of  Indiana,  but  through  Mr. 


THE  McLEAN  MEMORIAL. 


261 


Ewing’s  influence  and  advice,  they  accepted  the  name  so  greatly 
desired  by  the  many  friends  of  the  late  Senator  McLean. 

Much  that  pertains  to  this  portion  of  our  subject  relates  more 
strictly  to  the  history  of  McLean  county,  and  little  more  need  be 
added  in  this  connection.  It  should  be  stated,  however,  that  the 
city  of  Shawneetown,  where  Senator  McLean  lived,  holds  his  mem¬ 
ory  in  grateful  recollection.  His  body  is  buried  on  the  high 
ground,  about  two  miles  from  the  ill-fated  city,  where  may  be 
found  the  following  inscription  on  the  slab  over  his  vault : 


IN  MEMORY 

O  F 

JOHN  McLEAN. 


Born  in  North  Carolina,  February  4,  1791. 
He  was  raised  and  educated  in  Kentucky,  whence 
he  emigrated  to  Illinois  in  1815,  where  he  held  a 
conspicuous  stand  at  the  bar,  and  in  society,  for 
talents  and  a  generous  and  amiable  nature.  A 
representative  and  senator  in  the  congress  of  the 
United  States  from  Illinois;  he  died  while  in  the 
latter  office,  October  14,  1830,  lamented  by  all. 


Death  loves  a  shining  mark,  a  signal  blow; 

A  blow,  which,  while  it  executes,  alarms. 

And  startles  thousands  with  a  single  fall. 

—  Young. 


262 


McLEAN  COUNTY  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY. 


GENERAL  McCLEENAND’S  LETTER. 

Owing  to  ill  health  and  worse  weather,  Gen.  John  A.  Mc- 
Clernand*  could  not  be  present.  The  following  extract  is  from  his 
letter,  read  by  Hon.  J.  IS.  Ewing: 

“Mr.  ^McLean  emigrated  from  Kentucky  to  the  Territory  of  Illinois 
and  settled  in  Shawneetown  in  181.5,  where  he  began  the  practice  of  his 
profession  as  a  lawyer,  residing  there  for  fifteen  years,  and  until  his  un¬ 
timely  death  in  1830.  He  and  I  were  contemporary  residents  of  Shawnee¬ 
town  for  fifteen  years.  I  often  saw  him  in  my  boyhood  and  afterward 
formed  acquaintance  with  him. 

“His  personality  interested  and  impressed  me.  The  image  of  it  still 
lingers  in  my  memory.  Physically  he  was  well  developed,  tall,  strong,  and 
stately.  When  walking  the  streets  his  admiring  observers  would  whisper 
‘there  goes  the  great  lawyer,  the  great  orator.’  His  confident  step  and 
appearance  denoted  him  a  man  of  energy  and  decision. 

“Socially,  he  was  afi'able  and  genial ;  his  conversation  sparkled  with 
wit  and  humor.  He  married  an  educated  and  accomplished  young  lady  in 
Kentucky,  a  short  time  before  his  death. 

“Mr.  McLean  was  not  an  academic  scholar.  During  his  early  life 
there  were  no  common  schools  in  Kentucky  or  Illinois,  and  perhaps  there 
was  not  a  college  in  all  Illinois.  His  only  resource  for  instruction  was  the 
wandering  pedagogue  and  his  own  assiduity.  Like  many  others  he  was 
for  the  most  part  self-educated,  not  a  few  of  whom  rank  among  the  most 
learned  of  the  ages. 


*Maj.-Gen.  John  A.  McClernand  is  a  very  remarkable  man.  He  was 
born  in  this  state  and  thinks  he  is  the  oldest  person  now  living  who  was 
born  in  Illinois.  He  has  had  a  verv  long  life  of  usefulness.  His  first  office 
of  which  we  have  record  is  that  of  aid  to  General  Posey,  in  the  Black  Hawk 
War.  General  Posey  was  a  general  under  Washington  in  the  Bevolu- 
tionary  War,  and  also  held  a  general’s  commission  in  the  Black  Hawk 
War.  He  was  buried  at  Shawneetown,  near  the  grave  of  John  McLean. 

McClernand  was  three  times  a  member  of  the  state  legislature,  and 
was  six  times  elected  to  congress,  four  times  from  the  Shawneetown  district, 
and  twice  from  the  Springfield  district.  Llis  last  term  in  congress  was  at 
the  beginning  of  the  war.  He  was  alwaj^s  a  Democrat,  and  he  went  with 
Stephen  A.  Douglas  in  favor  of  a  vigorous  prosecution  of  the  war,  during 
which  he  was  a  general  of  high  rank. 

At  the  siege  of  ^'lcksburg  he  was  a  major-general  in  command  of  the 
Thirteenth  army  corps  and  with  his  troops  came  very  near  entering  the 
city  in  the  famous  charge  on  the  23d  of  May,  18G3.  He  was  one  of  the 
twelve  major-generals  from  the  state  of  Illinois. 

After  the  war  he  was  circuit  judge  of  the  Sangamon  district  in  1870. 
He  was  one  of  the  United  States  commissioners  to  settle  the  Utah  diffi¬ 
culties  under  President  Cleveland.  The  committee  of  arrangements  were 
very  fortunate  in  securing  a  paper  from  General  McClernand,  one  of  the 
last  living  men  who  had  a  personal  acquaintance  with  Hon.  John  McLean. 

Since  the  above  was  written  General  McClernand  has  died, 
his  death  having  taken  place  September  20,  1900. 

'  J.  H.  Burnham. 


THE  McLEAN  MEMORIAL. 


263 


“As  a  lawyer,  Mr.  McLean  was  both  analytic  and  logical,  combining 
argument  with  extraordinary  eloquence.  He  was  persuasive  with  the 
judge  and  well  nigh  resistless  with  the  jury.  In  his  profession  he  was 
eminently  successful.  The  compensation  it  brought  would  have  enriched 
him  but  for  his  exceeding  liberality  towards  his  friends  and  the  needy. 
His  mind  was  practical  as  well  as  creative  and  versatile.  The  union  of 
these  qualities  marks  the  distinction  of  the  great  leaders  of  human  pro¬ 
gress  and  amelioration. 

“Mr.  McLean  was  an  actor  on  the  public  stage  in  Illinois  for  fifteen 
years.  He  led  a  political  movement  in  Illinois  which  on  the  wider  stage 
of  the  nation  resulted  in  the  reorganization  of  political  parties  and  the 
election  of  General  Jackson  to  the  presidency.  What  must  have  been  the 
energy  and  influence  he  contributed  in  the  effectuation  of  so  stupendous  a 
result?  Alas;  he  died  witn  the  harness  of  public  duty  upon  him.  He 
died  while  comparatively  young,  realizing  the  fate  which  so  often  overtakes 
the  brave,  the  active,  and  inspiring.  Peace  to  his  ashes;  honor  to  his 
memory.”  John  A.  McCleknand. 


HON.  JAMES  S.  EWING’S  KEMARKS. 

I  was  requested  on  Saturday  evening  by  these  gentlemen  to 
read  to  you  a  very  short  sketch  of  Mr.  McLean,  which  was  sent 
here  by  General  IMcClernand.  It  is  exceedingly  embarrassing 
always  to  appear  before  an  audience  naturally  disappointed  by  a 
person  whom  they  expected  to  hear.  My  embarrassment  is  not 
any  less  than  your  disappointment,  but  I  can  only  read  to  you 
these  words  and  without  any  attempt  whatever  to  till  the  place  in 
your  interest  of  the  distinguished  gentleman  who  is  absent,  I  will 
detain  you  but  a  very  few  minutes. 

(Mr.  Ewing  then  read  General  McClernand’s  letter,  given 
above  in  this  volume.) 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen  : — I  desire  to  voice  the  sentiment 
of  this  assembly  in  thanks  to  the  officers  of  the  McLean  Historical 
Society  in  what  I  consider  the  great  and  important  work  which 
tliey  have  undertaken  and  acconpdished.  I  do  not  know  whether 
ai  first  thought  we  realize  exactly  what  has  been  done,  with  what 
great  labor  they  have  unearthed  the  facts  that  have  been  presented 
to  you  today  and  which  have  resulted  in  placing  in  this  court 
house  a  tablet  upon  which  is  recorded  the  birth,  death,  and  some 
historical  facts  of  the  distinguished  gentleman  for  whom  this 
county  has  been  named.  I  doubt  whether  99  out  of  100  people  in 
this  county  know  the  circumstances  under  which  this  county  was 


264 


McLEAN  COUNTY  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY. 


named  or  an^dhing  of  the  life  of  the  distinguished  citizen  for  whom 
ii  was  named.  I  doubt  wdiether  any  of  them,  or  very  many  of 
them,  knew  anything  about  the  man  himself. 

Human  fame  is  not  very  lasting.  Professional  and  political 
fame  is,  of  all  things,  perhaps,  the  most  transitory  and  ephemeral. 
Here  is  a  man  who  came  to  Illinois  when  perhaps  25  or  26  years 
old;  nobody  ever  heard  of  him  before.  In  fifteen  years  he  be¬ 
came  one  of  the  leading  lawyers  of  the  state,  eminent  in  his  pro¬ 
fession.  He  w^as  elected  to  congress.  He  w^as  three  times  a 
member  of  the  legislature  and  the  speaker  of  the  popular  branch 
of  that  body.  He  was  twice  elected  to  the  United  S-tates  senate. 
He  died  at  the  age  of  39,  a  senator  in  congress.  He  was  a  man 
who  had  taken  active  part  in  all  the  great  questions  of  the  day. 
And  yet  but  a  few  years  have  passed  away  and  his  memory  has 
passed  away  with  the  years.  By  such  labor  as  has  been  performed 
by  these  gentlemen,  aided  by  the  board  of  supervisors,  the  memory 
of  that  just  and  honorable  man,  of  whom  I  think  hereafter  we 
will  all  be  proud,  has  been  rescued  from  this  oblivion.  We  have 
at  last,  after  all  these  years,  to  a  slight  degree  paid  the  homage 
which  his  memory  deserves. 

The  men  who  were  prominent  in  the  territorial  history  of  our 
country  were.  Governor  Edwards,  the  territorial  governor;  Gov- 
enor  Shadrach  Bond,  the  first  governor  of  the  state;  Hon.  Wm. 
Lee  D.  Ewing,  who  was  secretary  of  state  and  prominent  in  all 
the  public  affairs  of  the  time;  Elias  K.  Kane,  who  was  senator  in 
congress;  Hon.  Daniel  P.  Cook,  and  ^Ir.  John  McLean.  Cook 
county  was  named  for  one,  McLean  county  for  another,  Edwards 
*  county  for  one  and  Kane  county  for  another.  These  men  have  all 
passed  away,  as  I  have  said,  and  it  requires  just  such  scenes  as 
this  to  bring  their  memory  back  to  the  people.  Will  you  permit 
me,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  in  carrying  out  this  thought,  a  personal 
reminiscence. 

In  the  early  history  of  this  county,  in  the  old  court  house 
which  stood  on  exactly  the  same  spot  where  this  court  house 
stands,  two  boys  were  attracted  to  the  court  house  to  hear  a  lawsuit 
tried.  And  when  they  came  into  that  court  house,  there  were 
eight  young  men  assembled,  not  all  of  them  engaged  in  the  trial 
of  the  case,  but  some  of  them,  and  all  of  them  giving  strict  at¬ 
tention  to  tlie  proceedings.  The  lawsuit  was  not  one  of  very  great 
importance.  It  was  between  a  man  who  had  permitted  his  cattle 


THE  Me  LEAN  MEMORIAL. 


265 


to  stray  in  his  neighbor’s  corn  field;  his  neighbor  had  set  his  dog 
on  them,  and  was  sued  for  trespass.  The  suit  was  really  between 
the  dog  and  the  steer.  But  engaged  or  interested  in  that  trial 
were  eight  men,  young  lawyers.  I  doubt  whether  any  of  them 
were  over  26  or  27,  certainly  not  over  30  years  of  age,  most  of  them 
much  younger  than  that. 

The  court  was  presided  over  by  Hon.  Samuel  H.  Treat,  and 
I  can  see  him  in  my  mind’s  eye  today,  as  he  occupied  the  bench  in 
nearly  the  exact  position  where  I  am  now  standing,  a  man  who 
afterwards  became  "Jlnited  States  judge  and  one  of  the  most  dis¬ 
tinguished  and  honorable  lawyers  and  judges  in  the  state. 

Another  one  was  General  Gridley,  a  man  whom  all  of  you 
knew,  who  afterwards  became  a  distinguished  citizen  of  this  state. 
One  was  David  Davis,  who  afterwards  was  a  distinguished  lawyer, 
a  circuit  judge,  judge  of  the  United  States  supreme  court,  United 
States  senator,  and  acting  vice-nresident  of  the  United  States,  a 
man  of  state  and  national  fame,  a  citizen  of  this  county,  whom 
all  honored  and  loved. 

Another  one  was  John  T.  Stuart,  a  very  distinguished  lawyer 
of  Springfield;  several  times  a  member  of  congress,  and  one  of 
the  most  lovable  of  men. 

Another  one  was  David  Campbell,  the  prosecuting  attorney  at 
that  time  and  afterwards  a  distinguished  lawyer. 

Another  one  was  Edward  D.  Baker,  who  was  afterwards 
United  States  senator  from  the  state  of  Oregon,  a  famous  orator 
who  immortalized  himself  by  pronouncing  the  eulogy  over  David 
Broderick,  and  who  was  afterwards  killed  at  Ball’s  Bluff. 

Another  one  was  James  McDougal,  a  brilliant  Irishman  who 
afterwards  became  senator  from  the  state  of  California. 

Another  one  was  Abraham  Lincoln,  the  man  who  has  passed 
into  the  pantheon  of  universal  history  and  upon  whose  head  has 
settled  the  sunshine  of  eternal  glory.  And  these  were  the  young 
men  gathered  around  this  little  bar  and  whose  names  and  fame 
have  passed  into  history.  I  might  add  that  one  of  those  boys 
afterwards  became  vice-president  of  this  great  republic  and  the 
other  one  is  your  speaker.* 


*Hon.  James  Stevenson  Ewing  is  one  of  our  most  talented  lawyers. 
He  was  educated  at  Center  College,  Kentucky,  studied  law  in  Bloomington, 
and  has  always  resided  here  since  he  became  a  member  of  the  bar  which 
was  in  1859.  He  belongs  to  the  well  known  Ewing  family  and  is  quite 


266 


McLEAN  COUNTY  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY. 


Speaking  to  any  anclience  in  the  United  States,  or  perhaps  I 
might  say  in  the  world,  T  doubt  if  an  incident  of  snch  significance 
ccnld  be  truthfully  related  of  any  other  gathering.  We  have  just 
cause  to  be  proud  of  this  man  for  whom  our  county  is  named, 
whom  none  of  us  knew,  but  whom  all  of  us  honor. 

If  one  should  have  gone,  at  that  time,  into  the  legislature  of 
cur  state,  we  would  have  found  the  following  men : 

Jno.  Ke3molds,  Thos.  Ford,  Jno.  A.  McClernand,  Sydney 
Breese,  Edward  D.  Baker,  Daniel  Butterworth,  Usher  F.  Linder, 
Orlando  B.  Ficklin,  Cyrus  Walker,  Orvil  H.  Browning,  Archibald 
Williams,  Ilobert  Blackwell,  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  Augustus  Koer- 
ner,  Lyman  Trumbull,  and  Abraham  Lincoln.  And  I  undertake 
to  say  that  no  legislature  ever  assembled  in  any  commonwealth  of 
this  union  or  anywhere,  composed  of  abler  men  or  of  men  possessed 
of  more  intellectual  strength  than  this  body  of  men. 

We  are  all  proud,  my  fellow  citizens,  of  the  great  common¬ 
wealth  of  Illinois,  and  these  men  whom  I  have  mentioned,  and 
this  man  whose  memory  we  are  here  to  honor  especially,  were  men 
who  laid  tlie  foundation  of  our  prosperity.  They  took  part  in  the 
great  cpiestions  arising  during  the  transition  period  between  our 
territorial  and  state  governments;  they  discussed  and  settled  the 
great  questions  of  political  economy  and  of  state  prosperity,  the 
question  of  slavery  or  freedom,  and  of  our  financial  policy.  We 
cannot  honor  them  too  much. 

A  man’s  political  fame  cannot  be  lasting  unless  it  is  con¬ 
nected  with  some  great  principle.  A  lawyer’s  fame  above  all 
others,  is  the  most  ephemeral,  because  if  he  exerts  his  learning  and 
skill  and  cunning  in  tlie  trial  of  a  lawsuit,  the  lawsuit  passes  away 
and  nobody  cares  anything  about  it  except  the  parties  interested. 

nearly  related  to  the  late  Hon.  Thomas  Ewing,  one  of  Ohio’s  great  men. 
He  is  a  cousin  of  the  Hon.  Adlai  Ewing  Stevenson,  and  for  many  years 
they  were  law  partners  in  Bloomington,  and  they  have  both  been  well 
known  all  over  the  state  for  their  activity  in  the  politics  of  the  Demo¬ 
cratic  party  of  Illinois.  They  are  both  said  by  family  tradition  to  be 
related  to  the  Hon.  Wm.  Lee  D.  Ewing,  who  was  responsible  for  giving  the 
name  of  John  McLean  to  this  county.  The  same  tradition  says  that  like 
Mr.Wm.  L.  D.  Ewing,  they  are  also  related  to  the  family  of  John  McLean,  but 
until  the  family  genealogies  are  published,  the  exact  relation  cannot  be 
given. 

Under  the  second  administration  of  President  Cleveland,  Mr.  James 
S.  Ewung  was  made  minister  to  Belgium,  with  the  title  of  Minister  Pleni¬ 
potentiary  and  Ambassador  Extraordinary:  and  with  his  cultivated  and 
accomplished  wife,  who  was  a  daughter  of  the  Hon.  Hamilton  Spepcer,  of 
this  city,  spent  four  pleasant  years  at  elegant  Brussels,  the  capital  of 
Belgium.  I 


THE  McLEAN  MEMORIAL. 


26T 


A  politician  may  be  prominent  amidst  the  strife  of  today,  but  his 
fame  is  gone  unless  he  links  his  name  and  casts  his  political  for¬ 
tune  with  the  success  or  defeat  of  some  great  political  principle. 
And  thus  it  was  with  those  of  whom  I  have  spoken  and  of  the  dis¬ 
tinguished  citizen  whose  name  we  memorialize  here  today. 

I  thank  you,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  very  cordially  for  your 
kind  attention.  ' 


LETTER  FROM  J.  B.  BARGER. 

SlIAWNEETOWN,  MARCH,  8,  1896. 

J.  H.  Burnham,  Bloomington,  Illinois: 

Dear  Sir:  Your  letter  of  March  3,  is  at  hand  and  read.  My  recol¬ 
lection  of  John  McLean  was  on  his  little  farm  when  he  kept  his  horses 
and  hounds  and  had  a  man  hired  to  take  care  of  his  horses  and  hounds. 
He  did  not  as  I  ever  knew  hunt  with  a  gun,  it  was  for  chasing  with 
hounds.  My  recollection  is,  he  was  a  lawyer,  hut  I  have  no  recollection  of 
his  practicing  law.  We  did  not  have  any  court  house  in  Shawneetown, 
the  courts  were  held  in  a  warehouse.  Since  writing  you  before,  it  came 
to  my  mind  that  Gen.  John  A.  McClernand,  of  Springfield,  Illinois,  was 
raised  here  and  knew  John  McLean.  He  is  older  than  I  am  and  can 
possibly  give  you  more  information  than  I  can.  He  was  spoken  of  in  the 
best  terms  by  everybody  who  knew  him.  He  never  went  out  of  the  county 
hunting  as  I  ever  knew.  President  John  Cook,  of  the  University  of  Nor¬ 
mal  always  reminded  me  when  I  met  him,  of  John  IMcLean,  quick  action 
and  speech,  but  McLean  was  not  so  fleshy. 

I  don’t  know  of  any  otlner  person  now  living  that  knew  him  but  General 
McClernand.  Y^ours  respectfully, 

J.  B.  Barger.* 

•  LETTERS  FROM  CAPT.  JOHN  M.  FDD  A". 

'  Shawxeetown,  III.,  June  9,  1896. 

J.  H.  Burnham,  Esq.,  Bloomington,  Illinois: 

Dear  Sir:  T  herewith  enclose  a  copy  of  the  record  of  the  public 
services  of  .John  McLean,  furnished  me  by  my  uncle.  Judge  J.  J.  Hayden, 
of  Washington,  which  I  hope  will  be  of  service  to  you,  if  you  have  not 
already  the  same. 

Also  the  following  from  the  history  of  Hamilton  county:  “The  first 
house  in  McLeansboro  was  a  log  one  built  by  Dr.  Win.  B.  McLean,  a  brother 

*Mr.  Barger,  who  was  85  years  old  in  1896,  spent  over  a  year  with  his 
daughter  at  Normal  about  1895.  He  was  acquainted  with  President  Cook, 
and  his  reference  to  Mr.  McLean’s  resemblance  to  Mr.  Cook,  has  con¬ 
siderable  meaning.  Mr.  Barger  was  for  a  long  time  county  clerk  of 
Gallatin  county.  In  my  visit  to  the  old  gentleman  at  Shawneetown,  I  did 
pot  learn  much  more  than  is  given  in  the  letter.  J.  H.  Burnham. 


268 


McLEAN  COUNTY  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY. 


of  John  McLean,  of  Shawneetown.”  As  the  doctor  may  have  descendants 
in  that  county  who  have  some  family  records,  it  is  quite  probable  that  you 
might  obtain  something  of  Judge  McLean’s  parentage,  early  youth,  etc., 
through  some  of  them.  Judge  T.  B.  Stelle,  of  McLeansboro,  could  assist 
you  in  this,  as  he  is  an  old  citizen  and  has  written  a  history  of  Hamilton 
county,  extracts  from  which  appear  quite  often  in  my  book. 

Copy  of  record  of  court  held  here  in  1816. 

“This  court  met  February  20,  1816,  at  the  house  of  Charles  Hill  in 
Shawneetown.  Present,  Honorables  Leonard  \Yhite  and  John  Marshall, 
on  this  day  John  McLean  was  admitted  to  practice  law.” 

Yours, 

John  M.  Eddy.* 

1  !  1  Shawneetown,  III.,  November  19,  1896. 

J.  H.  Burnham,  Esq.,  Bloomington,  Illinois: 

Dear  Sir:  I  will  give  you  my  impressions  of  the  personality  of 
Judge  McLean,  which  were  formed  by  conversing  with  many  people  who 
knew  him  well,  while  T  was  a  youth  from  10  to  15  years  of  age.  My 
father  bought  our  old  homestead  from  J udge  M  cLean,  and  moved  his 


*J.  jM.  Eddy  was  a  son  of  Henry  Eddy,  who  published  a  paper  at 
Shawneetown,  Illinois,  as  early  as  1817,  called  the  Illinois  Emigrant, 
and  also  published  other  newspapers  at  a  late  day,  and  was  a  leading  citi¬ 
zen  of  the  young  state.  Mr.  J.  M.  Eddy  examined  the  files  of  his  father’s 
papers  for  me  in  search  of  information  relating  to  the  Hon.  John  McLean, 
and  was  of  great  assistance  to  me  in  several  directions,  and  deserves  the 
thanks  of  the  community  for  his  efforts.  In  this  connection  it  may  be 
stated  that  at  the  time  Mr.  McLean  lived  in  this  state,  there  was  no 
daily  newspaper,  no  large  town  or  city  and  no  newspaper  of  sufficient  size 
and  circulation  to  publish  in  full  scarcely  a  single  speech  from  any  one 
in  the  land.  It  was  not  the  day  of  shorthand  reporters,  and  the  speeches 
of  public  men  were  seldom  reported  in  full.  It  was  a  rare  thing,  even  in 
the  large  cities,  to  publish  speeches,  but  it  was  rarer  still  in  Illinois. 

Even  the  reports  of  congress  were  mere  abstracts  until  several  years 
after  McLean  left  congress,  and  it  has  been  impossible  to  find  anywhere  a 
single  one  of  his  speeches  printed  in  full.  In  the  publications  of  the 
Chicago  Historical  Society  in  the  “Governor  Edwards  Papers,”  may  be 
found  some  letters  written  by  John  McLean,  but  they  are  largely  of  a  per¬ 
sonal  nature,  and  do  not  give  much  idea  of  his  literary  style,  but  there 
is  enough  to  convince  us  he  must  have  been  quite  well  educated. 

Mr.  McLean’s  ability  must  be  inferred  from  the  general  statements 
given  by  the  authorities  I  have  quoted,  which  are  sufficiently  definite  to 
prove  that  he  was  a  man  of  brilliant  parts,  and  as  stated  by  Mr.  Ewing  in  his 
remarks,  to  have  accomplished  what  he  did  at  the  early  age  of  39  years, 
he  must  have  been  a  man  of  most  wonderful  power. 

The  fact  that  the  town  of  McLeansboro,  the  county  seat  of  Hamilton 
county,  Illinois,  was  named  for  Dr.  W.  B.  McLean,  a  brother  of  John  Mc¬ 
Lean,  is  one  of  very  peculiar  interest  to  us.  It  may  be  proper  to  state 
that  diligent  inquiry  has  so  far  failed  to  obtain  any  further  information 
in  regard  to  persons  ^tl^  name  living  in  either  McLeansboro,  or  North 
Carolina. 

A  'eoitsiii,- Senior  Walker,  has  written  a  letter  from  Arkansas,  which 
is  given  in  this  connection.  J.  H.  Burnham 


THE  McLEAN  MEMORIAL. 


269 


family  onto  it  in  1832,  when  I  was  but  2  years  old,  and  I  spent  the  early 
part  of  my  life  there  among  country  people,  several  of  whom  were  tenants 
on  the  place  and  so  remained  for  many  years. 

From  these  and  others  living  in  the  neighborhood,  I  got  the  impres¬ 
sion  that  he  had  the  happy  faculty  of  adapting  himself  to  the  ways  and 
customs  of  all  sorts  of  people.  For  instance:  When  overworked  or  de¬ 
pressed  in  spirits,  he  would  go  onto  his  farm  where  a  Mr.  Holly  kept  for 
him  a  pack  of  hounds  and  spend  a  week  or  more  hunting  foxes,  in  which 
sport  the  whole  neighborhood  joined. 

He  would  go  to  all  log  rollings,  corn  huskings,  house  raisings,  and 
country  frolics,  and  would  make  a  full  hand  at  all  or  any  of  them.  I 
have  heard  these  people  tell  how  he  would  beat  all  comers  at  running, 
jumping,  wrestling,  and  lifting,  and  he  would,  to  use  a  modern  phrase, 
“just  turn  himself  loose.’’  In  fact  the  people  almost  worshipped  him. 
All  this  I  think  accounts  for  his  great  popularity  among  the  plain  people. 
When  at  home  though,  he  was  an  entirely  different  man.  There,  he  was 
the  personification  of  dignity  and  courtesy,  rarely  unbending,  never  harsh, 
or  cruel  or  insulting,  a  perfect  Chesterfield  in  courtly  manner  to  all. 

Yours  truly, 

John  M.  Eddy. 


*I  have  always  taken  a  great  interest  in  whatever  pertains  to  the  his¬ 
tory  of  McLean  county.  Long  before  the  organization  of  the  McLean 
County  Historical  Society,  and  even  before  I  wrote  the  history  of  Bloom¬ 
ington  and  Normal  in  1879,  I  had  a  strong  desire  to  know  more  of  the 
history  of  our  pioneers. 

When  it  was  proposed  to  honor  the  memory  of  the  man  for  whom 
this  great  county  was  named,  I  commenced  to  gather  historical  material 
for  the  occasion,  with  the  single  idea  of  furnishing  it  to  some  one  of  our 
leading  orators  to  be  used  on  the  day  of  the  public  exercises,  with  no 
thought  of  delivering  it  myself,  being  no  speaker  and  only  an  ordinary 
reader,  but  as  the  members  of  the  Society  would  not  unite  in  designating 
any  other  person,  I  reluctantly  assented  to  their  wishes. 

As  stated  by  the  Hon.  E.  B.  Washburn,  in  my  quotation  from  his 
paper,  and  as  mentioned  in  a  somewhat  similar  manner  by  one  of  our  own 
speakers,  the  Hon.  James  S.  Ewing,  it  has  seemed  surprising  that  history 
gives  us  so  little  concerning  such  an  eminent  man. 

But  for  that  matter,  we  find  history  has  treated  in  much  the  same 
manner  men  like  Jesse  B.  Thomas,  Daniel  P.  Cook,  and  Edward  Coles,, 
except  that  Governor  Coles  like  our  other  governors,  had  the  good  fortune 
to  have  the  state  printer  for  a  publisher  on  many  occasions. 

Our  investigations  have  at  least  resulted  in  giving  to  the  citi¬ 
zens  of  this  county,  of  whom  it  is  probable  those  born  here  are  now  in  the 
majority,  all  that  can  be  learned  concerning  the  early  statesman  whose 
name  is  forever  attached  to  our  county,  and  it  seems  to  me  that  the 
feeling  of  county  pride  so  well  developed  already,  is  likely  to  grow  with 
the  growth  of  McLean  county,  and  -to  deepen  and  intensify  as  the  years 
roll  round. 

If  I  have  been  at  all  instrumental  in  adding  another  cubit  to  the 
stature  of  McLean  county’s  patriotic  pride  in  its  ancestry,  its  history,, 
and  itself,  I  shall  have  been  amply  repaid  for  my  trouble. 

1  J.  H.  Burnham. 


270 


McLEAN  COUNTY  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY. 


The  following  is  a  portion  of  a  letter  from  the  Hon.  Thomas 
Eidgway,  late  of  Shawneetown,  Illinois,  formerly  state  treasurer 
of  Illinois.  Mr.  Eidgway  was  one  of  the  first  to  suggest  that  the 
people  of  McLean  county  take  steps  to  publicly  honor  the  memory 
of  John  McLean.  This  letter  was  written  to  J.  Dickey  Templeton, 
of  Bloomington,  Illinois. 

LETTEE  FEOM  HOX.  THOMAS  S.  EIDGWAY. 

Shawneetown,  III.,  January  3,  1896. 

J.  D.  Templeton,  Esq.,  Care  First  National  Bank,  Bloomington,  Illinois: 

Dear  Sir:  In  regard  to  Senator  John  McLean,  his  residence  and 
burial  place  here  long  years  ago.  His  remains  lie  buried  in  our  cemetery, 
“Westwood  Cemetery,”  on  the  hills  two  miles  west  of  town,  the  family 
burial  place  of  all  our  citizens.  The  tomb  is  of  brick  masonry  of  oblong 
shape,  seven  feet  long  by  three  and  a  half  feet  wide,  with  a  single  stone 
slab  covering  the  same,  with  the  inscription  on  its  face,  the  brick  walls  two 
and  a  half  feet  high  above  the  surface  of  the  ground.  The  brick  work  is 
now  needing  some  repairs.  It  has  been  repaired  time  and  time  again 
during  the  many  years  since  he  was  buried  there,  say  sixty- five  years  ago 
—1830  to  1895. 

He  is  buried  among  a  number  of  noted  men  of  southern  Illinois,  such 
as  General  Posey,  who  was  aid  to  General  Washington,  and  was  United 
States  senator  of  Louisiana,  and  governor  of  the  Northwest  Territory — Illi¬ 
nois,  Indiana,  etc.,  etc.,  also  Judge  Hardin,  John  Marshall,  Henry  Eddy, 
and  many  others. 

While  in  Washington  during  his  last  term  he  married  a  Kentucky 
lady  and  brought  her  home  with  him.  Before  his  term  was  out  he  died 
here  during  a  vacation.  His  wife  was  with  him.  Shortly  after  his  death 
she  went  to  jMissouri,  where  she  had  friends  and  she  never  returned,  and 
no  one  here  ever  heard  from  her  afterwards.  McLean  left  little  or  no 
property.  He  came  to  Shawneetown  in  1815  and  commenced  to  practice 
law,  and  soon  became  identified  with  our  people,  made  this  place  his  home, 
and  I  do  not  think  they  would  like  to  have  his  remains  removed.  We 
consider  it  quite  a  distinction  for  our  town  to  claim  the  honor  of  once 
being  the  home  of  so  eminent  a  man  as  John  McLean,  prior  to  and  at  the 
time  Illinois  was  born  into  the  union — 1818 — and  continuing  to  reside 
with  us  while  a  member  in  congress  and  United  States  senator,  until  his 
death  in  1830.  Your  truly, 

Thomas  8.  Eidgway. 


THE  McLEAN  MEMORIAL. 


271 


LETTER  FROM  HON.  J.  D.  WALKER. 

Fayetteville,  Ark.,  December  10,  1898. 
Capt.  J.  H.  Burnham,  Bloomington,  Illinois: 

Dear  Sir:  I  read  with  great  pleasure  a  special  to  the  St.  Louis 
Republic,  of  the  7th  inst.,  a  notice  of  the  proceedings  of  the  McLean 
County  Historical  Society  in  reference  to  the  memory  of  John  McLean,  and 
extracts  from  your  address  on  that  occasion. 

Allow  me  to  express  to  you  my  sincere  thanks  and  gratitude,  as  he 
was  my  uncle,  the  oldest  brother  of  my  mother,  who  was  the  wife  of  Col. 
J.  V.  Walker,  late  of  Logan  county,  Kentucky. 

There  is  a  mistake  in  the  statement  that  “He  came  to  Shawneetown 
from  North  Carolina  in  1815.”  He  came  from  Logan  county,  Kentucky,  to 
Shawneetown,  according  to  the  family  record.  The  father  and  mother  of  John 
McLean,  Ephriam  McLean  and  Elizabeth  Byert,  the  former  of  North  Carolina 
and  the  latter  of  York  District,  South  Carolina,  were  married  in  1788,  and 
emigrated  to  Kentucky  in  179G,  when  John  McLean  must  have  been  a  small 
boy,  and  settled  about  twelve  miles  west  of  Russellville,  Logan  county, 
Kentucky,  where  in  1803  my  mother,  Susan  Howard  McLean,  was  born. 
The  father  of  John  jMcLean,  Rev.  Ephriam  McLean,  according  to  the  his¬ 
tory  of  the  C.  P.  church  was  its  first  ordained  minister.  The  McLean 
record  further  states,  that  “the  oldest  son,  John,  after  returning  from 
Indian  wars  under  General  Jackson,  studied  law  under  the  instruction  of 
Judge  McLean  in  Greenville,  Kentucky,  and  settled  in  Shawneetown  to 
practice  law  when  Illinois  was  a  territory.” 

My  grandmother  fondly  cherished  the  memory  of  her  son  and  often 
exhibited  presents  made  by  him  when  in  congress. 

Should  you  meet  Hon.  Adlai  E.  Stevenson,  who  I  believe  still  resides  in 
your  city,  present  my  regards.  I  knew  him  when  in  congress.  Again 
thanking  you,  I  am  truly  and  respectfully, 

J.  D.  Walker.* 

P.  S.  It  may  be  of  interest  to  state  that  the  grandfather  of  John 
McLean,  Charles  McLean,  came  from  Scotland  to  North  Carolina  in  1750, 
and  was  a  major  in  the  American  army,  in  the  Revolutionary  War. 

J.  D.  W. 


*It  is  with  great  pleasure  that  I  have  been  able  to  add  to  the 
published  exercises  of  the  dedication,  a  letter  from  the  Hon.  J.  D. 
Walker,  of  Fayetteville,  Arkansas,  received  by  me  a  few  days  after  our 
exercises  took  place.  It  gives  us  very  important  information  of  which 
we  were  in  entire  ignorance.  The  fact  that  his  father,  the  Rev.  Ephriam 
McLean,  preached  the  first  Cumberland  Presbyterian  sermon  in  Ken¬ 
tucky  shows  a  very  honorable  parentage.  Mr.  Walker  also  tells  us  John 
McLean  served  in  the  Indian  War  under  General  Jackson,  a  fact  hitherto 
unknown.  It  is  also  exceedingly  interesting  to  be  told  that  his  father’s 
grandfather.  Major  Charles  McLean  was  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution. 

John  McLean,  were  he  alive  today,  would  be  entitled  to  be  called  a 
Son  of  the  Church  and  a  Son  of  the  Revolution.  i 


272 


McLEiN  COUNTY 


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098692731  J 


THE  CLAN  McLEAN. 

Anything  relating  to  the  name  McLean,  will  be  interesting  in  this 
particular  connection. 

We  first  meet  with  the  word  in  Scotland,  where  the  clan  McLean  was 
once  one  of  the  most  powerful  clans.  Its  headquarters  appear  to  have 
been  on  the  islands  known  as  the  Inner  Hebrides,  on  the  west  coast  of 
Scotland,  especially  the  islands  of  Mull  and  Jura,  while  the  McLeans 
also  occupied  a  large  part  of  the  county  of  Argyle  on  the  western  coast  of 
Scotland,  adjacent  to  the  Inner  Hebrides. 

The  powerful  clan  of  McLeans  must  have  been  the  ancestors  of  all 
those  of  the  name  now  found  in  the  various  parts  of  the  world. 

In  “The  Scotch-Irish  in  History”  published  in  1899,  by  Rev.  James 
Shaw,  of  Bloomington,  Illinois,  a  valued  member  of  the  McLean  County 
Historical  Society,  we  are  given  a  list  of  sixty-nine  of  the  Scotch-Clans  of 
the  present  times,  and  of  these,  thirty-three  are  Macs.  Among  them  he 
gives  McLane,  which  is  one  of  the  several  ways  of  spelling  McLean.  He 
also  gives  a  full  list  of  names  of  the  different  Scottish  clans  of  the  past 
and  present,  beginning  with  Mac,  and  we  find  there  are,  or  have  been, 
137  Macs.  Among  these  we  find  McLean. 

Mr.  Shaw  shows  plainly  that  the  Scotch  and  Scotch-Irish,  have 
exerted  vast  influence  for  good  upon  the  English-speaking  peoples  of  the 
world,  and  particularly  upon  the  United  States. 


I  regret  to  state  that  two  letters  written  by  me  to  Ex-Senator  Walker, 
and  one  by  the  Hon.  A.  E.  Stevenson,  lately,  have  all  failed  of  drawing 
out  a  reply,  but  we  are  exceedingly  thankful  for  the  very  important  facts 
stated  by  this  kinsman.  Mr.  Stevenson  authorizes  me  to  say  that  during 
his  acquaintance  Avith  the  senator  in  Washington  when  he  was  United 
States  senator  from  March  4,  1879,  to  March  4,  1885,  he  talked  with 
Mr.  Walker  several  times  in  relation  to  John  McLean  and  the  family 
relationship.  He  adds  that  from  the  feeble  health  of  Mr.  Walker  the 
last  time  he  heard  of  him,  he  is  very  doubtful  if  the  gentleman  is  still 
alive.  He  also  told  me  he  had  an  impression,  almost  amounting  to  a 
certainty,  that  Ex-Senator  Call,  of  Florida,  was  also  a  cousin  of  John 
McLean  and  of  Senator  Walker.  The  genealogical  and  other  facts  here 
given  will  enable  those  who  are  anxious  to  learn  more,  to  make  further 
inquiries  in  Xorth  Carolina  and  Kentucky,  and  perhaps  to  learn  much 
more  of  great  interest  concerning  the  McLean  family.  For  my  own  part, 
being  not  yet  fully  satisfied  with  my  researches,  I  may  at  some  future  time 
be  able  to  learn  something  more  in  this  line  of  investigation. 

The  letter  which  is  published  herewith  from  Hon.  J.  D.  Walker,  who 
was  United  States  senator  from  the  state  of  Arkansas  from  March  4,  1879, 
to  March  4,  1885,  and  who  was  a  cousin  of  John  McLean,  states  that  his 
grandfather  Avas  Charles  McLean,  aaLo  came  from  Scotland  to  North 
Carolina  in  1750,  and  seiwed  as  major  in  the  American  army  in  the 
ReA’olutionary  War.  This  settles  the  question  of  his  ancestry  A^ery  satis¬ 
factorily  and  prepares  the  AA-ay  lor  future  inA’estigations  if  any  are  curious 
as  to  going  further  back  into  the  Scottish  ancestry  of  John  McLean.  Mr. 
Walker  shoAVS  his  ancestry  to  haA'e  been  of  more  than  ordinary  intelligence 
and  high  standing,  and  he  gives  A'ery  A’aluable  information  AA’hich  AA^as  not 
aA'ailable  at  the  time  the  memorial  AA*as  prepared  by  me. 

J.  H.  Burnham. 


